MAMMOTH MOUNTAIN – It’s an amazing bluebird day. The sun is softening the crisp morning ice crust on the snow. The wind – which in winter can bite at your face as it howls over the crest – now provides a welcome cooldown to recharge and take on the mountain again. It’s glorious outside.It’s March,

I stare at the metal box set in the snow, knowing I shouldn’t do it.At 36, and a new mother with a toddler at home, I realize doing jumps and jibs is something that should be left to the more-resilient teenagers.But I’ve made up my mind, and there’s no turning back. I slow down slightly as I approach the

You can barely hear the strains of Bob Marley from the open bar, as you lie on the lounge chair on the white sand beach, cocktail in hand.
You open your eyes and gaze out on the perfect cove, blue water glistening in the sun as the waves lap gently onto the shore. You wonder if you should get up and do something active, like rent a kayak

This San Diego County town doesn’t have a McDonald’s, a Starbucks or a Burger King. But it does have a gold mine, a historian and an astronomer.
It also, says the owner of the community’s largest inn, “has authenticity you won’t find anyplace else in the state.”
“It’s not a Disney t

The antidote to the cliche Hollywood scene is just a few blocks away, in Koreatown.
It’s hard to imagine that two decades ago K-Town, as it is known in local parlance, was a flash point for the Los Angeles riots: a low-rent district engulfed in flames. Today this sprawling, 3-square-mile community just west of downtown has become o

Yosemite? Check.Grand Canyon? Check.Sequoia? Check.Joshua Tree?Why had I never made the trip to Joshua Tree? It’s the closest national park to Orange County.For years I had vowed to squeeze in a side trip to Joshua Tree as part of a Palm Springs getaway. But then I repeatedly woul

Santa Barbara doesn’t really need to beef up its resume. With its stunning natural setting, bounty of outdoor activities, and numerous cultural offerings, this small Central Coast city is California’s answer to the South of France.But the growth of what’s known as the Funk Zone has indeed enhanced Santa Barbara&rsqu

Michael Stern doesn’t have to wait for Modernism Week next month to introduce aficionados to Palm Springs’ living museum of midcentury contemporary architecture.
Stern, an architecture buff, author and photographer, provides daily, 21/2-hour adventures into the city’s most architecturally iconic neighborhoods and commer

Nearly 100 miles east of the heart of Orange County lies an expanse of sand, palm trees and windmills. It’s a place where the mayor who once crooned “I Got You Babe” chased off college spring breakers. It’s where movie stars once flocked on vacation to get away from Hollywood, and where the 38th president called home late

So maybe you’ve been too busy to think about Valentine’s Day, and now you realize it’s almost here.And, to complicate matters, Feb. 14 this year falls on Saturday night during President’s Day weekend. That can be good if you can have Monday off, but bad if you’re looking for a bargain.So, wha

Overview: The debut of the Park Hyatt New York in August was widely regarded as one of the most important hotel openings in America in years. Although based in Chicago, the top tier of the Hyatt Hotels portfolio has been slow to establish a presence in the United States. While the 34-unit luxury brand is well-known and highly regarded thr

One of New York’s most celebrated restaurants is back and better than ever.I thought it could never be done. It was a sentiment shared by pretty much everyone after The River Café in Brooklyn took a devastating hit from Hurricane Sandy in 2012.The restaurant opened in 1977 aboard a riverboat that was moored t

Trains are a unique mode of long-distance transportation: They don’t require freeways, toll roads, turn signals or getting rid of your water bottle if you want to get onboard. Plus, they offer a scenic view that’s hard to match behind the wheel.One of the best overnight railroad getaways from Orange County is a visit to O

At long last, the Palm Springs arts community has caught up with its international reputation as a mecca of midcentury desert modern architecture.
After eight years of planning and fundraising, an expansion of the Palm Springs Art Museum – the ballyhooed Architecture and Design Center – opened to the public in late 2014.

There are many ways to enjoy the uncommon splendor Joshua Tree National Park puts on display in massive quantity across its 800,000 acres, spanning two deserts.
One is by exploring the unusual, unrelenting beauty offered to first-timers and return visitors alike – on two feet, or two or four wheels. Two is by embracing the bohemian